Viola
by Toni Kiesow
Identity- Text
Viola would most likely identify as a secretive, yet open person. She can easily hide her gender yet, she is open with anyone who asks her anything. She could also, say she is an intelligent person as she comes up things to reply with to keep her secret, quite quickly. As Cesario, she could say she is loyal. This is because she stays loyal to Duke Orsino, by continuing to try to get Olivia for him, even though Olivia loves Cesario. Viola could have tried to set Olivia up with someone else, breaking loyalty with Duke Orsino. This quote proves her loyalty "I am a messenger"(I.v.186). This proves that Viola is loyal to Duke Orsino, because she exclaims to Olivia she is just a messenger, and no more than that to her.
Gender- Text
Viola in Twelfth night knows she is a woman. She does not think she will make it very far as a woman, and in effort to prove herself, she asks the captain to help her dress as a man. With her being dressed as a man, she has to identify as one, but when she falls in love with duke Orsino, keeping her masculine cover can be hard. While she could just change at any point and become herself again, she would lose the trust of Duke Orsino, because a lie like that is too big. The way Viola reveals her true identity, is a great way because she kept the trust of her new closest friends. "Madam, I am most apt to embrace your offer.(to Viola) Your master quits you,and for your service done him, so much against the mettle of your sex, so far beneath your soft and tender breeding, and since you called me 'master' for so long, here is my hand. You shall from this time be your master's mistress."(V.I.308-314). This quote proves that Viola's gender is revealed quite well and is accepted.
Perception- Text
Others in Twelfth Night see Viola as Cesario. Duke Orsino sees Cesario as a loyal messenger. Olivia sees Cesario, also as a loyal messenger to Duke Orsino, yet she also sees Cesario as a lover. She sees him as the person she wants to spend a life with, while she thinks Cesario is real. Olivia sees Cesario (Viola) as a compassionate and caring person. She believes that he is a one of a kind man that she would not find anywhere else. "Your way of talking, your face, your body, your behavior, and your sensitive soul all prove you're a gentleman. Ah, no. Calm down, calm down. If only his lord was more like him."(I.v.265-270) This is Olivia talking to herself, expressing her love for Cesario.
Similarites- Text
Viola and I are alike because I have changed myself for someone else before. Also, we have both been in a similar situation when it comes to a love triangle. Lastly, we both are very easy to pick up on others feelings and tend to start feeling sympathy for the other people.
Differences- Text
Viola and I are different because, I have not ever taken a hidden identity so far. Also, Viola is a messenger, and I tend to typically not be the greatest message deliverer. I am lastly, not one to lie, and to hide her identity, she has to lie a lot.
Identity- Movie
Viola in the movie sees her self as a brave, strong and independent person. She believes she can do anything a man can do. Viola says that she is going to prove her coach wrong. This portrays that she is in the strong mindset. She is able to do what she wanted because she thought of herself like that. Lastly, Viola sees her self as good as any man.
Gender- Movie
Due to Viola being a girl, she had to dress up as her brother, so she could prove that girls can play soccer just as well as men. Being a girl, makes people think that she is incapable and she wants to prove them wrong. Viola told her coach that she could play just as well, but he told her that she couldn't. Viola tends to have a difficult time covering her identity. She constantly starts talking in her voice, and expresses her feeling like a girl. Her gender gives her many limitations, but she is able to overcome them.
Perception- Movie
In the movie Viola is seen as Sebastian. People see her as weird male, but they don't seem to question it too much. She seems nerdy to them. They start to get used to her and they grow on her. Her friends and her get girls to act for them, and then the guys start respecting her more. Duke Orsino starts to she her as a close friend and tells her many things. In She's The Man, Duke tells viola if she tells anyone he was going to beat her up or something. That shows that he has a lot of trust for her. Meaning that she was seen as a close friend.
Similarities- Movie
With Viola in the movie, we share the sneaky trait. We also, both are easy listeners. Both of us listen and try to give advice that could help. While, we both have pretended to be something we are not, we both did it for the same reasons.
Differences- Movie
Viola in the movie does not like to do the things her mom loves to do, where I am the opposite. Me and my mom tend to do a lot together. She also, covers for her brother. If my brother was doing something stupid like that, I wouldn't help him. Lastly, She has more of a tom-boy side and I am more girly.